If there's one thing most Coloradans learn from an early age, it's not to interrupt a Broncos fan during a game. But apparently that message hasn't sunk in yet for former Denver mayor and current Barack Obama tub-thumper Federico Peña.
Earlier this week, National Public Radio's Robert Siegel delivered an intriguing feature about the presidential campaigns courting the Hispanic vote in Colorado. Along the way, Siegel accompanied former state senator Larry Trujillo during a trip to Monte Vista in support of John McCain and tailed Peña as he knocked on doors in a Latino neighborhood in Denver during last week's nail-biting contest between the Broncos and the New Orleans Saints. The text version of the story includes one profane anecdote about Peña that couldn't be shared on radio. We'll leave out the asterisks.
Peña found a startling variety of responses. At one door, there was an enthusiastic greeting; at another just barking dogs. One homeowner engrossed in watching the Broncos game told the former mayor in no uncertain terms to "fuck off."
Be warned: If someone knocks as the Broncos are lining up against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, pretend you're not home. Otherwise, you could wind up in a sincere conversation with a onetime Denver official who's apparently forgotten that messing with a Broncos booster when he's glued to the tube is an invitation to be sacked. -- Michael Roberts
